Earl Grey French 75

Busy week, huh? I seem to have temporarily lost my appetite (nothing that Christmas treats at home won’t be able to cure), so I made us some cocktails! I can attest that these strong, brunch-appropriate cocktails go great with my butternut frittata. Just remember—you’re adding gin to Champagne, so these pack a punch. Which means they might be just what you need at the holiday table.

I tasted this cocktail at Cafe Flora in Seattle a couple of months ago. I was so excited to eat there since Bill had recommended the restaurant to me a couple of years ago. My brother was driving, so I ordered one of these while we waited for our vegetarian brunch to arrive and I marveled at the fiery red trees outside. Needless to say, I was a fan and knew I had to recreate these for the blog.

This Earl Grey-infused gin is the easiest infusion I’ve made yet, so please give it a try! It only needs an hour. The rest is super simple—the honey simple syrup comes together in just a couple of minutes on the stove (making simple syrup instead of straight honey helps the honey disperse into the drink). Shake it up, pour it into glasses, top it off with bubbly! Cheers from Cookie and Kate.

Earl Grey-infused gin makes this French 75 brunch appropriate! This strong, sparkling, citrusy cocktail would be welcome any time of day, though. Amounts given below for infused gin and simple syrup yield 4 drinks, so scale up as necessary.

Ingredients

Earl Grey-infused gin

½ cup gin (I used Hendrick's)

2 teabags Earl Grey tea (I used Numi Organics)

Honey simple syrup

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons water

Per cocktail

1 ounce Earl Grey-infused gin

¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

½ ounce honey simple syrup

Dry Champagne or Prosecco, for topping off the drink (a few ounces per drink)

Twist of lemon, as garnish

Instructions

To make the infused gin: Measure out the gin and submerge tea bags in the liquid. Cover the gin and let it seep for 1 hour. Then remove the tea bags, squeezing absorbed gin into the mixture before discarding the bags.

To make the honey simple syrup: In a tiny saucepan on the stov, combine honey and water. Warm over medium heat, whisking occasionally, just until the honey has melted into the water. Remove from heat.

To make a cocktail (you can make multiple drinks at once): Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in Earl Grey-infused gin, lemon juice and simple syrup in the proportions listed above. Securely fasten the cap on the shaker and shake until well chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain the liquid into Champagne glasses and top with Champagne. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

My husband made these for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, they were delicious and a hit with our guests! I have to say that your website has become my go to site for creative, delicious, healthy, and easy to follow recipes. Thank you! You are inspiring!